The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has protested alleged anti-labour practices by a Chinese construction firm, Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corporation.
While picketing the Chinese company, the workers temporarily shutting down construction work at the new headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at Lugbe in Abuja.
Angry construction workers, who are affiliates of the NLC, pulled down the gate at the construction site and made their way into the premises.
This followed the resistance by the shutting down of the company’s gate against the protesting NLC leadership.
As early as 7.30 am, workers gathered at the NLC headquarters at Labour House in Abuja to mobilise for the picketing of the Chinese construction company handling the construction of the ECOWAS new office complex.
The management of the construction company did not address reporters who covered the protest; neither did the company’s officials respond to the labour union’s allegations.
The Chinese government had undertaken to build the new ECOWAS Secretariat as part of an aid package to the regional body.
Addressing the protesting workers, NLC’s General Secretary, Comrade Emma Ugboaja decried the alleged inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerian workers at the construction site.
The union leader said the NLC responded to a complaint by the Federal Capital Territory chapter of the construction workers’ union over bad working conditions of Nigerians at the construction site.
He said the Chinese company engaged the workers without conditions of service attached or welfare or medical services in place.
Ugboaja regretted that due to the deplorable work conditions at the place, one of the workers, a driver, identified simply as Augustine, died out of neglect and lack of timely medical attention.
Reacting to the death of the driver, Ugboaja said: “Mrs Ruth Augustine migrated with her husband and family to Abuja to earn a living. Now, the man, in an effort to help build ECOWAS a secretariat, has ended up six feet down, leaving his poor widow to face the vagaries of life: no pension, no gratuity, no food, no water, and no explanation. Where will help come from?
“Every day, we plead with the government to provide a minimal social security floor, to no avail. That is the challenge we have. This challenge is real”.
The Federal Government condemned the violent protest that occurred at the construction site of the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
In a statement, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli said it had since last week Tuesday been actively engaged in negotiations with relevant stakeholders, including the ECOWAS Commission, the National Union of Construction Workers and the NLC with a view to addressing the complaints and other Union matters tabled by the workers.
Omayuli noted that the negotiations had progressed and shown positive signs towards the amicable resolution of the complaints.
He added that the recent intrusion by touts into the construction site, which is a diplomatic vicinity, constitutes a blatant violation of established regulations and is highly condemnable.
Omayuli further said: “In response to this regrettable development, the Ministry and the ECOWAS Commission contacted relevant security agencies, who deployed more personnel to the site to contain and bring the situation under control, while ensuring the safety of all the parties concerned.
“In this regard, the Ministry calls for restraint and urges all the parties to refrain from taking laws into their hands, while the relevant stakeholders continue to work to resolve the issues at hand, through constructive dialogue and adherence to legal procedures.
“Any breach on the construction site by unscrupulous agents or individuals will not be tolerated and will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“On this note, the Federal Government wishes to reiterate its commitment to the successful completion of the new ECOWAS Headquarters in Abuja”.
